The discovery of African swine fever in the Dominican Republic is prompting a regional response from USDA.
The department and Customs and Border Patrol are working with the DR and Haiti to keep the virus from spreading, but they are also working closely in Puerto Rico covering ports, mail, and garbage that could carry ASF.
The National Pork Board is also working with regional governments to monitor the situation. The DR and Haiti have had classical swine fever in their herds for more than a decade and Pork Checkoff dollars have helped prevent it from spreading to the U.S.
“We want to make sure that producers know what ASF looks like, and we want them to know how to report, we want them to make sure that they have biosecurity plans in place, and that they’re reviewing those and making sure that they’re being abided by... for instance, pork containing meat products aren’t brought on to the farm, people have not traveled to areas where these diseases are and allowed back on the farm,” according to Patrick Webb.
Veterinarians say that now is the time for producers to double down to prevent exposure.
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